A system that exchanges nothing with its environment—no matter, no energy, no information, no influence. Closed systems are theoretical ideals in physics (the universe as a whole might be closed) and practical nightmares in human affairs. A closed relationship is one that never learns, never grows, never adapts—it's the same argument forever. A closed mind is one that never accepts new information. A closed economy is one that never trades. Closed systems are predictable, stable, and dead. They're comforting to people who hate change and suffocating to everyone else. In reality, perfectly closed systems don't exist—they're approximations at best, delusions at worst.
Example: "His mind was a closed system—no new information entered, no old beliefs exited. Every conversation recycled the same arguments, every fact was filtered through the same unchanging framework. People stopped trying to reach him because you can't reach a closed system—you can only bounce off the boundaries. He called it consistency. Everyone else called it exhausting."
by Abzunammu February 16, 2026
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